Get your copy now!
If you loved Chill like I did then this is the game to get.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Cryptworld is up on DriveThruRPG!
Cryptworld is up on DriveThruRPG!
Get your copy now!
If you loved Chill like I did then this is the game to get.
Get your copy now!
If you loved Chill like I did then this is the game to get.
Orcus and Vanth
We all know who this guy is:
But who is this?
Her name is Vanth and she is another Etruscan chthonic god depicted as a demon and she adorns funerary art.
What is their relationship other than the obvious historical one?
Well I also read a lot of science blogs and this picture of the largest trans-Neptunian objects came up (in a discussion of the Oort cloud.)
Vanth is the moon of Orcus.
I can't even begin to tell you how many ideas came flooding in on that one!
Vanth orbits Orcus in a tight precise circle and they are tidal locked. Vanth is never far from Orcus then and she always keeps her face toward her master.
Mythological Vanth shares a role similar to that of Charon. She brings the souls of departed to the underworld. She has a torch to light her way, a key to unlock the gates of the underworld, a scroll with the information on the deceased and a sword. According to myth Vanth appears as woman, much like an Erinyes and described as young and vibrant.
There is a Pathfinder creature called a Vanth, but it lacks some of the charm of this demon.
No I think I prefer Vanth to be a vassal of Orcus. Responsible for bringing him the choicest souls to be corrupted into foul undead. In truth that picture of Orcus above should be reversed, Vanth (the woman) should be the one presenting the skeleton to her lord.
It could be that this unique Vanth has many of the lesser vanths at her disposal. Maybe the souls her lord rejects become part of her own army.
I also saw this picture of Stephanie vanRijn that had me thinking of the relationship between Thanatos and Eros. Maybe this what Vanth looks like to humans.
Vanth
Hit Dice: 11+15** (70 hp)
Armor Class: 1 [19]
Attacks: 1 sword (1d10+4)
Special: Flight, Magic resistance (55%), regenerate (3 hp/round), +2 or better weapons to hit.
Move: 24' / 60'
Save: F12 (Basic) 12 (S&W)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Challenge/XP: 11/3,000
I will have to develop here more later.
http://amusedgrace.blogspot.com/2013/08/this-is-other-piecei-did-earlier.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanth
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/psychopomp/psychopomp-vanth
But who is this?
Her name is Vanth and she is another Etruscan chthonic god depicted as a demon and she adorns funerary art.
What is their relationship other than the obvious historical one?
Well I also read a lot of science blogs and this picture of the largest trans-Neptunian objects came up (in a discussion of the Oort cloud.)
Vanth is the moon of Orcus.
I can't even begin to tell you how many ideas came flooding in on that one!
Vanth orbits Orcus in a tight precise circle and they are tidal locked. Vanth is never far from Orcus then and she always keeps her face toward her master.
Mythological Vanth shares a role similar to that of Charon. She brings the souls of departed to the underworld. She has a torch to light her way, a key to unlock the gates of the underworld, a scroll with the information on the deceased and a sword. According to myth Vanth appears as woman, much like an Erinyes and described as young and vibrant.
There is a Pathfinder creature called a Vanth, but it lacks some of the charm of this demon.
No I think I prefer Vanth to be a vassal of Orcus. Responsible for bringing him the choicest souls to be corrupted into foul undead. In truth that picture of Orcus above should be reversed, Vanth (the woman) should be the one presenting the skeleton to her lord.
It could be that this unique Vanth has many of the lesser vanths at her disposal. Maybe the souls her lord rejects become part of her own army.
I also saw this picture of Stephanie vanRijn that had me thinking of the relationship between Thanatos and Eros. Maybe this what Vanth looks like to humans.
Vanth
Hit Dice: 11+15** (70 hp)
Armor Class: 1 [19]
Attacks: 1 sword (1d10+4)
Special: Flight, Magic resistance (55%), regenerate (3 hp/round), +2 or better weapons to hit.
Move: 24' / 60'
Save: F12 (Basic) 12 (S&W)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Challenge/XP: 11/3,000
I will have to develop here more later.
http://amusedgrace.blogspot.com/2013/08/this-is-other-piecei-did-earlier.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanth
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/psychopomp/psychopomp-vanth
30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 13: Favorite Trap/Puzzle
Day 13: Favorite Trap/Puzzle
I love making my players think so there are a lot of these I love. But mostly I enjoy the riddles or word-play. I don't need "Save or Die" poisonous darts, but a puzzle or a maze between where you are and where you need to be? That stuff is golden in my book. Combining the two (mazes and word play) is a great way to baffle my players.
I love making my players think so there are a lot of these I love. But mostly I enjoy the riddles or word-play. I don't need "Save or Die" poisonous darts, but a puzzle or a maze between where you are and where you need to be? That stuff is golden in my book. Combining the two (mazes and word play) is a great way to baffle my players.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Ghosts of Albion: Derby Day at DriveThruRPG
Go get your FREE copy of Ghosts of Albion Derby Day now at DriveThruRPG!
It includes the Ghosts of Albion Quick Start rules to get you going.
Enjoy!
It includes the Ghosts of Albion Quick Start rules to get you going.
Enjoy!
Prestige Class: Imbolc Mage
Trying some more Prestige Classes for Witches. This one is actually quite near and dear to me. It was also one of the first Prestige Classes I ever wrote.
The Imbolc Mage is a special sort of witch infused with the divine vengeance of the Goddess. They are nominal leaders of the Imbolc Guard. I wanted to create something that felt it could have been a part of witch history for a long time and work in the game. I had help from a good friend Lisa Countryman and her ideas on the original Imbolc Mage. The Imbolc Mage is her baby so I have kept the name closed for the OGL, but the rest is all fair game.
Section 15: Imbolc Mage, Copyright 2013, Timothy. S. Brannan & Lisa Countryman.
OGC Declaration: The terms "Imbolc Mage" and "Lady Imbolc" are closed in terms of the OGC. All other content is considered Open.
Art is Copyright © Anne- Claire PAYET 2009 and used under Creative Commons
Imbolc Mage
Witches speak of Warlocks in hushed tones. Most are disgusted by these betrayers of the Goddess' law, but more
than few also fear them. But there is one witch that even the darkest Warlocks
of the Scholomance fear, for she is the righteous fury of the Goddess made mortal.
She is the Imbolc Mage.
The Mages of Imbolc are so rare that every single one has been recorded. Most have died in the pursuit of the Goddesses’ vengeance. Imbolc Mages exist to destroy evil, and they save a special hatred for those who call themselves warlocks.
Like becoming witch, one does not chose to become an Imbolc Mage, the Goddess makes that choice.
If the witch has the potential to become an Imbolc mage a series of tests and trails are performed by a coven 19 witches trained in the martial use of the sword. The witches who train the prospective are always of the strongest Neutral Good alignment. The test is a small price to pay and only a fraction of the battles the new Imbolc Mage will certainly face. The training is tough and many do not succeed. There is no dishonor in failure, it simply means the prospective was not destined to bear the mantle of the Imbolc mage. If the prospective does succeed, she is filled with the power of the Goddess and is known to all as Lady Imbolc.
History records that nearly all Imbolc Mages have come from the ranks of strong witches. Amazon and Celtic Classical traditions being the most representative, but few chaste Tantric witches and a fewer number of Lorelei have served as well. Some druids and sorceresses have also become Imbolc Mages. With the rise of evil becoming greater more Imbolc Mages have been chosen and some have come from nonwitch backgrounds. In most cases the Imbolc Mage will join the Daughters of the Flame (q.v.) coven dedicated to the Goddess Brigit, but the Imbolc Mage works alone and is not considered to be a full member of that coven. Game Masters can choose a coven that suits their game the best.
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements
To qualify as an Imbolc Mage, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Alignment: Any Good.
Feat: any metamagic feat, except Spell Kiss.
Knowledge (religion): 7 Ranks
Knowledge (Witchcraft): 7 Ranks
Spell casting: Ability to cast 5th level spells
Special: Imbolc Mages can only be female.
In order to understand the nature of her foe, the potential Imbolc Mage must have survived an attack from an evil outsider. Note, survived does not mean she won or succeeded in defeating the outsider. Preferences are also made to witches that come from a strong family line of witches and have high Wisdom.
Imbolc Mages are not made, they are chosen. So the GM and the Player who wishes to play an Imbolc Mage must decide on the particulars of this calling. Were her ancestors powerful witches? Did she have an Imbolc Mage in her family tree? Is there some new evil that requires a new Imbolc Mage be called? What were the circumstances with her battle with the evil outsider?
Class Skills
The Imbolc Mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (witchcraft) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features
All of the following are class features of The Imbolc Mage prestige class.
Weapon Proficiency: Once becoming an Imbolc Mage, training in the sword begins. Regardless of original class, the Imbolc Mage can choose the sword and attack without penalty. Often the sword becomes the new ritual tool of the Imbolc Mage, replacing the athame. Unlike the athame, the sword is sharp and will be used for combat purposes.
Most Imbolc Mages eschew the use of armor since it interferes with their spell casting abilities. Many will have several piece of magical protection in place.
Special: The Imbolc Mage gains special powers at each level of her progression.
Awesome Presence (Su): At first level, the Imbolc Mage is infused with the power of her Goddess. This supernatural ability has two main effects. First all witches can “see” this presence as a bright aura. Witches that know of the Imbolc Mage will treat her with deference and respect. Enemies, in particular warlocks, can also detect this aura. Any morale checks made by enemies are at a –1 penalty. Natural animals are also calmed by her presence.
As a side effect of this change in her aura even the most good and lawful Imbolc Mages will appear to any magical scrying techniques as have a “touch of evil” about them. In all cases anyone who can see auras will see the Imbolc Mage’s aura is blinding bright.
Favored Enemy (Ex): The Imbolc Mage gains Warlocks as a favored enemy as per the ranger ability. All attacks, mundane, magical or martial, are done at a +1 bonus at second level and gain by +1 for every two levels. GMs who wish to have more flexibility or do not wish to use warlocks might extend this favored enemy status to any type of evil witch, wizard or spellcaster.
Wild Shape (Su): At fifth level the Imbolc Mage may Wild Shape once per day (take a shape and revert back). The shape maybe to any size that is one step removed from the Imbolc Mage. A medium-sized Imbolc Mage may wild shape to a small, medium or large creature. Unlike the Polymorph Self spell or druid ability, the Imbolc mage is restricted to natural animals. She may wild shape to a large dog, a lion or even a wolf, but never a wyvern or an owlbear. Typically the Imbolc Mage chooses one shape and sticks with that. This is a supernatural ability.
Bilocate (Sp): The Imbolc Mage can astral project (as the astral projection spell) onto the same plane she is currently occupying, in effect being in two locations at once. The projection is semi-real and may do anything the Imbolc Mage could do, including cast spells and assume a Wild Shape. The Imbolc Mage cannot do anything other than rest, though both incarnations are aware and conscious of the others surroundings. The Imbolc Mage may hold this projection a number of minutes equal to her level plus 10, or until the projection reaches zero hit points. Any damage to the projection also damages the Imbolc Mage at one half the amount loss. She may do this once per day. This is a spell like ability.
Ethereal Shift: The Imbolc Mage can enter the Ethereal Plane. For spell effects this is the same as if an Ethereal Jaunt spell were cast by a sorcerer of the same level. This may be performed once per day. This is a spell like ability.
Astral Shift: The Imbolc Mage can enter the Astral Plane. For spell effects this is the same as if an astral projection spell were cast by a sorcerer of the same level. This may be performed once per day and is a spell like ability.
Extended Life: Similar to the druid ability Timeless Body, the Imbolc Mage stops aging normally. Her aging is slowed to 75% of what is normal for her race. This supernatural ability also effects magical aging. Though this rarely aids her normal aging since most Imbolc Mages die due to violence rather than age.
Spells per Day: The Imbolc Mage continues training in magic as well as the sword. Thus, when a new Imbolc Mage level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spell-casting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (new Occult powers, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of Imbolc Mage to the level of some other spell-casting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.
If a character had more than one spell-casting class before she became an Imbolc Mage, she must decide to which class she adds each level of Imbolc Mage for purposes of determining spells per day when she adds the new level. Generally speaking this will be her highest spell casting class.
For example, Fionna is a 10th level witch and 2nd level sorceress. She is called to become an Imbolc Mage. She gains a level of Imbolc Mage and is now known as Lady Imbolc, and is a witch 10, sorceress 2, and Imbolc Mage 1. She opts to continue receiving witch spells, so she gains spells as an 11th level witch/2nd level sorceress, if she goes up a level in witch or Imbolc Mage then she will cast as a 12th level witch/2nd level sorceress. Typically though, the new Imbolc Mage will forgo any advancement in any other class she has and concentrate solely on her advancement as an Imbolc Mage.
Imbolc Mages use the same spell list as witches.
The Imbolc Mage is a special sort of witch infused with the divine vengeance of the Goddess. They are nominal leaders of the Imbolc Guard. I wanted to create something that felt it could have been a part of witch history for a long time and work in the game. I had help from a good friend Lisa Countryman and her ideas on the original Imbolc Mage. The Imbolc Mage is her baby so I have kept the name closed for the OGL, but the rest is all fair game.
Section 15: Imbolc Mage, Copyright 2013, Timothy. S. Brannan & Lisa Countryman.
OGC Declaration: The terms "Imbolc Mage" and "Lady Imbolc" are closed in terms of the OGC. All other content is considered Open.
Art is Copyright © Anne- Claire PAYET 2009 and used under Creative Commons
Imbolc Mage
 |
| Incantation by `Eireen |
The Mages of Imbolc are so rare that every single one has been recorded. Most have died in the pursuit of the Goddesses’ vengeance. Imbolc Mages exist to destroy evil, and they save a special hatred for those who call themselves warlocks.
Like becoming witch, one does not chose to become an Imbolc Mage, the Goddess makes that choice.
If the witch has the potential to become an Imbolc mage a series of tests and trails are performed by a coven 19 witches trained in the martial use of the sword. The witches who train the prospective are always of the strongest Neutral Good alignment. The test is a small price to pay and only a fraction of the battles the new Imbolc Mage will certainly face. The training is tough and many do not succeed. There is no dishonor in failure, it simply means the prospective was not destined to bear the mantle of the Imbolc mage. If the prospective does succeed, she is filled with the power of the Goddess and is known to all as Lady Imbolc.
History records that nearly all Imbolc Mages have come from the ranks of strong witches. Amazon and Celtic Classical traditions being the most representative, but few chaste Tantric witches and a fewer number of Lorelei have served as well. Some druids and sorceresses have also become Imbolc Mages. With the rise of evil becoming greater more Imbolc Mages have been chosen and some have come from nonwitch backgrounds. In most cases the Imbolc Mage will join the Daughters of the Flame (q.v.) coven dedicated to the Goddess Brigit, but the Imbolc Mage works alone and is not considered to be a full member of that coven. Game Masters can choose a coven that suits their game the best.
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements
To qualify as an Imbolc Mage, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Alignment: Any Good.
Feat: any metamagic feat, except Spell Kiss.
Knowledge (religion): 7 Ranks
Knowledge (Witchcraft): 7 Ranks
Spell casting: Ability to cast 5th level spells
Special: Imbolc Mages can only be female.
In order to understand the nature of her foe, the potential Imbolc Mage must have survived an attack from an evil outsider. Note, survived does not mean she won or succeeded in defeating the outsider. Preferences are also made to witches that come from a strong family line of witches and have high Wisdom.
Imbolc Mages are not made, they are chosen. So the GM and the Player who wishes to play an Imbolc Mage must decide on the particulars of this calling. Were her ancestors powerful witches? Did she have an Imbolc Mage in her family tree? Is there some new evil that requires a new Imbolc Mage be called? What were the circumstances with her battle with the evil outsider?
Class Skills
The Imbolc Mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (witchcraft) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier
| Imbolc Mage Progression | ||||||
| Class Level | Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1st | +1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Awesome Presence | +1 level of existing class |
| 2nd | +1 | +1 | +0 | +3 | Favored enemy +1 | +1 level of existing class |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Bilocate | +1 level of existing class |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Favored enemy +2 | +1 level of existing class |
| 5th | +3 | +2 | +1 | +4 | Wild Shape 1/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Favored enemy +3 | +1 level of existing class |
| 7th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Ethereal Shift | +1 level of existing class |
| 8th | +4 | +3 | +2 | +6 | Favored enemy +4 | +1 level of existing class |
| 9th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Astral Shift | +1 level of existing class |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Favored enemy +5, Extended Life | +1 level of existing class |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of The Imbolc Mage prestige class.
Weapon Proficiency: Once becoming an Imbolc Mage, training in the sword begins. Regardless of original class, the Imbolc Mage can choose the sword and attack without penalty. Often the sword becomes the new ritual tool of the Imbolc Mage, replacing the athame. Unlike the athame, the sword is sharp and will be used for combat purposes.
Most Imbolc Mages eschew the use of armor since it interferes with their spell casting abilities. Many will have several piece of magical protection in place.
Special: The Imbolc Mage gains special powers at each level of her progression.
Awesome Presence (Su): At first level, the Imbolc Mage is infused with the power of her Goddess. This supernatural ability has two main effects. First all witches can “see” this presence as a bright aura. Witches that know of the Imbolc Mage will treat her with deference and respect. Enemies, in particular warlocks, can also detect this aura. Any morale checks made by enemies are at a –1 penalty. Natural animals are also calmed by her presence.
As a side effect of this change in her aura even the most good and lawful Imbolc Mages will appear to any magical scrying techniques as have a “touch of evil” about them. In all cases anyone who can see auras will see the Imbolc Mage’s aura is blinding bright.
Favored Enemy (Ex): The Imbolc Mage gains Warlocks as a favored enemy as per the ranger ability. All attacks, mundane, magical or martial, are done at a +1 bonus at second level and gain by +1 for every two levels. GMs who wish to have more flexibility or do not wish to use warlocks might extend this favored enemy status to any type of evil witch, wizard or spellcaster.
Wild Shape (Su): At fifth level the Imbolc Mage may Wild Shape once per day (take a shape and revert back). The shape maybe to any size that is one step removed from the Imbolc Mage. A medium-sized Imbolc Mage may wild shape to a small, medium or large creature. Unlike the Polymorph Self spell or druid ability, the Imbolc mage is restricted to natural animals. She may wild shape to a large dog, a lion or even a wolf, but never a wyvern or an owlbear. Typically the Imbolc Mage chooses one shape and sticks with that. This is a supernatural ability.
Bilocate (Sp): The Imbolc Mage can astral project (as the astral projection spell) onto the same plane she is currently occupying, in effect being in two locations at once. The projection is semi-real and may do anything the Imbolc Mage could do, including cast spells and assume a Wild Shape. The Imbolc Mage cannot do anything other than rest, though both incarnations are aware and conscious of the others surroundings. The Imbolc Mage may hold this projection a number of minutes equal to her level plus 10, or until the projection reaches zero hit points. Any damage to the projection also damages the Imbolc Mage at one half the amount loss. She may do this once per day. This is a spell like ability.
Ethereal Shift: The Imbolc Mage can enter the Ethereal Plane. For spell effects this is the same as if an Ethereal Jaunt spell were cast by a sorcerer of the same level. This may be performed once per day. This is a spell like ability.
Astral Shift: The Imbolc Mage can enter the Astral Plane. For spell effects this is the same as if an astral projection spell were cast by a sorcerer of the same level. This may be performed once per day and is a spell like ability.
Extended Life: Similar to the druid ability Timeless Body, the Imbolc Mage stops aging normally. Her aging is slowed to 75% of what is normal for her race. This supernatural ability also effects magical aging. Though this rarely aids her normal aging since most Imbolc Mages die due to violence rather than age.
Spells per Day: The Imbolc Mage continues training in magic as well as the sword. Thus, when a new Imbolc Mage level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spell-casting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (new Occult powers, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of Imbolc Mage to the level of some other spell-casting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.
If a character had more than one spell-casting class before she became an Imbolc Mage, she must decide to which class she adds each level of Imbolc Mage for purposes of determining spells per day when she adds the new level. Generally speaking this will be her highest spell casting class.
For example, Fionna is a 10th level witch and 2nd level sorceress. She is called to become an Imbolc Mage. She gains a level of Imbolc Mage and is now known as Lady Imbolc, and is a witch 10, sorceress 2, and Imbolc Mage 1. She opts to continue receiving witch spells, so she gains spells as an 11th level witch/2nd level sorceress, if she goes up a level in witch or Imbolc Mage then she will cast as a 12th level witch/2nd level sorceress. Typically though, the new Imbolc Mage will forgo any advancement in any other class she has and concentrate solely on her advancement as an Imbolc Mage.
Imbolc Mages use the same spell list as witches.
| “A Bhrigid, scar os mo chionn, Do bhrat fionn dom anacal. Oh, Brigid, spread above my head, your mantle bright to guard me.” - Prayer to Brigid |
30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 12: Favorite Dungeon Type/Location
Day 12: Favorite Dungeon Type/Location
I love cities. From the shops, to the homes, to the back alleys and the sewers Cities are always the best dungeon crawls as far as I am concerned. Plus there are so many ways for the characters to get into trouble and so many new things they have to do. They can't kill that merchant in broad daylight or even carry weapons!
I love cities. From the shops, to the homes, to the back alleys and the sewers Cities are always the best dungeon crawls as far as I am concerned. Plus there are so many ways for the characters to get into trouble and so many new things they have to do. They can't kill that merchant in broad daylight or even carry weapons!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
White Dwarf Wednesday #79
Paul Cockburn takes over the helm of the editorial page. There is a notice that a warning label will now be attached to ads for lead miniatures. Is there anything less old school than a warning label? Don't know, but I am sure there isn't. Cockburn promises more changes but already there seems some Imagine has leaked into my White Dwarf. If I had actually had a plan when I started this I should have alternated with issues of Imagine so I could better comment on this, but I didn't so we just have to go with it.
This is most evident in the Open Box reviews which look like the reviews in Imagine; reviews running across a span of pages. Among the reviews, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (a game I have never played), Secret Wars II for MSH, Blacksword for Stormbringer, Terror from the Stars for Call of Cthulhu, Ghostbusters and Acute Paranoia for you guessed it Paranoia. First I have to admire how gaming is diversifying at this point. Outside of Stormbringer there are no FRPGs in the lot and only one TSR offering.
Where and Back Again? covers starting up a Middle-Earth game. Graham Staplehurst spends four pages covering this well trod land. The focus here is on the ICE game of course, but a lot of it can be used with other incarnations of the game. It is still a desire of mine to play a game here, maybe using the D&D Basic rules (or ACKs), the only thing I am lacking is time.
Critical Mass and 2020 Vision cover reviews of books and movies respectively. There is a certain pathos in providing reviews to something review nearly 30 years ago. Though the highlights are their review of Highlander.
The special feature of the issue is next, a alternate view on Psionics in AD&D. Steven Palmer creates different "classes" of psioncs to help group the powers. A potential psion has access to 1 to 3 of these classes. He also gives characters an additional 3% if they have psions in their family line. It is a clean up and clarification of the rules in the AD&D1 Player's Handbook, but not yet at the Psionics as a strange magic seen in later editions of D&D.
Graeme Davis has an adventure for the Call of Cthulhu game, Ghost Jackal Kill, which among other things features some new monsters. I am afraid though the overall feel is one of a D&D adventure.
Phil Masters has an article on using the intelligence monsters have. Novel for the time, old information in todays games.
'eavy Metal is the new(ish) Miniatures feature.
Letters page gets a facelift.
The last part of the "brains" featured articles are Psi Judges for Judge Dredd. Reading these I might actually give the game a go sometime. But only if I can play them as very Big Brother or as Babylon 5 Psi Corps.
Fracas is the revamped Rumors section. Notable the introduction of the Zochi 100 sided dice.
We end with ads.
Now to be honest this was a good issue. I felt the featured content on powers of the mind fit together rather well and even went across a few game lines. There were some good advice in the articles and it did the one thing I really want a game magazine to do; get me to play the games they are talking about.
We could be closing out the 70s here (issues, not decade) on a positive note then. I know my opinion will change over the next 20 issues, but that is for another Wednesday.
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